Leads implanted in or about the heart have been used to reverse certain life threatening arrhythmia, or to stimulate contraction of the heart. Electrical energy is applied to the heart via electrodes on the leads to return the heart to normal rhythm.
A header on an implantable device is used to couple a conductor of the lead with circuitry within the implantable device. For instance, a contact in the header is used to electrically couple a cardiac stimulator system with the lead and electrode for making contact with a portion of the heart. U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,042 discusses a header with cylindrical multi-beam contacts.
It is desirable that the connection between the lead and the header is mechanically and electrically reliable.